Collapsible bag frame



Sept. 22, 1936. w. C.'HIERING COLL'APSIBLE BAG FRAME Filed June 22, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented Sept 175;}:

' uNl ED srATE Sr;

PATEN OFFICE ooL arsmm BAG "FRAME William C. Hiering, Newark, N. J.,ja'ssignor to TheJ. E. Mergott Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Y 7 -Application June 22, 1935, Serial No. 27,838 fw nsi' 50- This invention relates to hand bags and more' in collapsible particularly to improvements frames for hand bags.

Heretofore, there have been provided collaps- 5 ible frames for hand bags, which frameswhen expanded present a substantially six-sided figure,

and a wide opening to the hand bag, thereby enabling easy access to the contents therein.

Such hand bags are generally known'as ;ga'te bags. In the manufacture of hand bags of the gate type it is necessary that the bag cover-' ing material be properly attached to-the bag frame; and during the attaching process the frame is subjected to strains which heretofore in present tendency in the manufacture'of hand bags is to use a frame having as littl'e' metal as possible. Such framesare-preferablyof a channel type; and in such shapes it is necessary that the various parts of the frame be joined together in such a manner as to provide the proper rigidity and positiveness of operation at all times.

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a frame of the collapsible type for hand bags, which frame has the various elements thereof hingedly connected together in such a manner as to avoid the possibility of distortion during the attaching of bag covering material to the frame or during the general use of the hand bag, and to provide the proper rigidity when the frame is extended or collapsed.

A further object is the provision of a collapsible frame which enables a wide opening in the hand bag without distorting the hand bag or affecting the shape thereof in any manner.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a hand bag frame of the collapsible type in an expanded condition,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a hand bag frame in a collapsed condition,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view partially in section showing details of a hange connection between members of the frame,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a hinge connection between members of the frame, and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing the hinge connection applied to a modified form of the frame member.

Referring to the drawing, the frame isshown to comprise longitudinal members -H and I2, and-end members l3, I4 and I5 and I6. The members Band I4 are pivotally connected at I! and in turn' hingedly connected to longitudinal members H and 12. Similarly members l5 and {Bare pivotally connected at I8 and respectively hingedly connected to members l l and Hi. It will be seen that the frame is capable ofbeing collapsed so that members l3 and IE, and H and I2, and I5 and I6, will be parallel to and abut each other as shown in Fig. 2.

Each of the rnembers'preferably has an inner side wall 19 provided with an outwardly directed right angled flangelfl, the latter being provided with a downturned portion 2! spaced from and parallel to the, sidewall IS. The lower edge of wall I9 is provided with spaced tabs 22 having perforations 2,3 to facilitate the upward bending of the tabs "for the purpose of clamping an inlay 553 to the frame member, said inlay having bag covering material 4| attached thereto, see Fig. 3.

At the junction of member l3 and'member II the flange 20 on member H is extended to provide a lip 28, and the side Wall I9 is cut and looped to form a bearing 24 through which passes a pin 25, the latter passing also through a similar bearing 26 formed by bending a portion of the sidewall H) of member E3. The flange 20 of member H3 at the extremity thereof has the downturned portion 2| omitted, and the flange is depressed providing a lip 2'! positioned below the lip 28 formed from the flange on the member H as above described.

The lip'2l has the outer edge thereof rounded as shown at 29 and the inner side thereof flat as shown at 39 to abut against the side wall IQ of member H when the members H and I3 are in alignment. The lip 21, by means of its side 39 abutting the side wall I 9 of member ll, prevents any movement of the members beyond a position of alignment when the frame is in a collapsed position.

When the frame is expanded, the adjacent ends of members l3 and I! will abut each other and thereby limit the movement of said members in the expanding direction.

The hinge connection between members l3 and II as above described is also employed between members I5 and II and members l4 and [6 and I2.

Members l5 and I6 and members I3 and M are hingedly connected by means of rivets 3|; but no means are provided at the junctions I! and [8 for limiting the movement of said members in any direction, the limiting means being confined to the hinge connections as above described between members I3 and l l, and I5 and between members [4, l2 and [6.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a fragment of a frame, the members of which have a side wall 42 with an outwardly directed right angled flange 43. The lower end of the side wall has integral therewith and extending substantially the length thereof, a flange 44, which is bendable upwardly into a position substantially parallel with the side wall 42, for the purpose of clamping an inlay carrying bag covering material to the frame member. The hinge commotion between adjacent members in this type of frame is substantially the same as has been described above in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3. g

It will be seen that when in the expanded condition, the frame will assume a definite shape and distortion thereof is prevented due to the limiting means at the hinge connections between the various members. Similarly, when the bag.

is collapsed, one-half of the members will be in alignment and parallel to the other half of there has been provided a frame which is rigid in construction and capable of withstanding the severe distortional stresses and strains to which frames of the collapsible type .are subjected during the general use of a hand bag and during 'the attaching of bag covering material to a handbag frame.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications, without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a hand bag frame of the collapsible type, a pair of members hingedly connected to each other, each of said members having a side wall with an outwardly directed flange at the upper edge thereof, the flanges at the extremities of adjacent ends of said members being formed into lips resting one above the other, the lower-' most Ii-p having an edge shaped to engage a side wall of the ether member when said members are in alignment and limit the movement thereof, the extremities of said side walls being formed into tubular bearings, and a hinge pin passing through said lip and through said bearins- 2. In a hand bag frame of the collapsible type,

' a pair of frame members hingedly connected to each other, :each of said members having a side wall with an outwardly directed flange, said flange being provided with a downturned portion parallel to the side wall, the flanges :of said member adjacent the hinge connection being extended to form lips and the extremities of the side walls being bent to provide tubular bearings, a hinge pin passing through said lips and bearing, the lip on one ;of said members being positioned below the lip on the other member and having .an edge thereof shaped to engage the side wall of the other members when said members are in alignment to limit the movementof said members, the downturn-ed portion .of said flange being cut away adjacent the hinge connection.

- WILLIAM C. HIERING. 

